Jeremy Corbyn weaponises The Hunger Games… but doesn’t explain himself

Written by David Singleton on 14 February 2017 in Diary

Diary

The Labour leader called for an end to end to the ‘Hunger Games approach to Brexit negotiations’.

Jeremy Corbyn has followed up his widely ridiculed claim that "the fight starts now" on Brexit with further fighting talk.

The Labour leader alluded to science fiction dystopian adventure film series The Hunger Games in response to a leaked EU assessment of the legal impact of Brexit.

A document obtained by the Guardian warned that British nationals living on the continent could expect a backlash as a consequence of the government’s treatment of foreigners since the EU referendum.

Corbyn said the document pointed to "the human cost of a Tory-style Brexit" which meant that "families, jobs and homes are all in the balance".

He added: "There must be an end to this Hunger Games approach to Brexit negotiations, which gives no consideration to EU nationals in our country or British nationals living abroad."

Corbyn also called on the government to make a commitment that EU nationals currently living in the UK would be free to continue to do so, saying the failure to do so amounted to "playing political games with people’s lives".

But the Labour leader made no further reference to the series about children fighting to the death and then eventually overthrowing a repressive regime.

In particular, he failed to clarify who is the political equivalent of Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the series who is played in the films by Jennifer Lawrence…

The Labour leader’s latest fuzzy fighting talk comes after he ordered his MPs to vote to trigger Article 50 – and then responded to the passing of the Brexit bill with a declaration that "the real fight starts now".